Anomaly Research Centre:Exclusives/Tim Haines Questions about Primeval
The ARC Minister got in contact with Tim Haines, the co-creator and Executive Producer of Primeval and asked him some questions about the show. Thank you very much Tim for your patience and answers to my questions! ---- ---- Content was released 10 February 2017, the 10th Anniversary of Primeval. 1. The Minister is a popular unseen character in Primeval, not much in known about him other than he controls the Anomaly Research Centre. Could you reveal any information about him like; is he the Prime Minister or another important government figure? ALTHOUGH NEVER STATED THIS IS A HOME OFFICE MINISTER WHO WOULD ONLY TELL THE CABINET ANYTHING ON A NEED TO KNOW BASIS AND NO ONE ELSE NEEDS TO KNOW. 2. There is currently some dating discrepancies for Series 1 and 2 either taking place in 2006 or 2007. Episode 1.1 takes place after 17th May 2006 and Episode 2.7 takes place on 4th March 2007. It is probably a bit much to ask the exact dates for each episode but could you confirm between which two episodes the year changed from 2006 to 2007? EVERYTHING WAS RESET BETWEEN SERIES ONE AND TWO BECAUSE OF WHAT CUTTER DID IN THE PAST 3. There is a lot of mystery about the timeline change that happened in Episode 1.6 and Episode 2.1. Would you like to shed some light on what happened in the new timeline prior to Nick Cutter returning from the Permian period (eg: when the ARC was created or when Helen Cutter and Oliver Leek started working together)? AS YOU SAY THERE WERE A LOT MORE CHANGES THAN JUST CLAUDIA BECOMING JENNY PARTLY THIS WAS BECAUSE HELEN ON A SEPARATE TIMELINE HAD MANAGED TO INFLUENCE THE CREATION OF THE ARC. 4. In Series 2, did Oliver Leek and Helen Cutter's creature capturing organisation have a name and why did Leek want to gain knowledge and power for the future? HELEN USED LEEK TO CREATE CHAOS (AFTER BEING REJECTED BY CUTTER SHE DECIDED TO MUCK UP HIS PRESENT LATER SHE BECOMES MORE MISANTHROPIC.) LEEK, AS A FRUSTRATED CIVIL SERVANT, WAS EASY TO MANIPULATE WITH PROMISES OF POWER AND INFLUENCE. 5. According to Stephen Hart's grave, he was confirmed to be aged 32 in 2007, born in 1975. Nick and Helen Cutter were supposedly 36 in 2009, born in 1973, meaning they were only 2 years older than Stephen but Helen was supposed to be his teacher at University and Nick his mentor. Were the Cutters really aged 36, born in 1973 or were they older that? STEPHEN WAS AN OLDER STUDENT AND HELEN WAS A PHD SO IT WASN'T CLASSIC UNDERGRAD AND PROF AGE GAP. 6. It was initially believed that the Future Predator had evolved from bats in the distant future, before it was revealed in Series 3 that they were created by humanity at some point in the near future. Due to this, there is a popular and widespread fan theory that the Predators that appeared in Series 1 and 2 were from an alternate future in which the Future Predator had evolved naturally from a bat over 100 million of years and the Series 3 Predators were cloned using the DNA from the Series 1 and Series 2 Predators. Is that theory correct or could you explain what really happened? THEY ARE ESSENTIALLY LARGE PREDATORY GROUND-DWELLING BATS THAT EVOLVED IN THE ABSENCE OF PRIMATES BUT, YES, ONCE THE SECRET OF THE ANOMALIES GETS OUT ALL SORTS OF GENETIC MIXING CAN TAKE PLACE. 7. In Series 3, the Minister set up a military liaison with the ARC, run by Christine Johnson, however they never appear to give the ARC any military support with the creature incursions preferring to study the Future Predators and send expeditions to the future. Did that operation have a name and what was its real purpose? CHRISTINE WANTS TO CONTROL EVERYTHING THROUGH HER MOD DEPARTMENT AND IS QUITE HAPPY TO SEE JAMES FAIL SO WHY WOULD SHE HELP. 8. Did something happen to Helen Cutter between Series 2 and Series 3? In the first two series, she appears very sane, controlled, emotion-less, likes to travel and experiment with the anomalies and is intent on Nick Cutter being safe but in Series 3, she becomes intent on destroying humanity to save the Earth, appears very mentally unstable and emotional and actually kills Nick. Was the changes in her personality to do with Stephen Hart's death, the Series 3 future or something else? HAVING DECIDED TO RE-ENGAGE WITH NICK SHE STARTS QUITE PLAYFUL BUT SOON THINGS GO WRONG AND SHE BECOMES VENGEFUL. THIS QUICKLY EXTENDS BEYOND NICK TO MANKIND. REMEMBER SHE HAS A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE. SHE SEES AN UNIMPRESSIVE GROUP OF UPRIGHT PRIMATES SPREAD ACROSS THE WORLD AND DRIVE MANY OTHERS SPECIES TO EXTINCTION. LONG AFTER THEY HAVE GONE THE CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR ACTIONS HAVE NOT. SO FULL OF ANGER AND GRIEF HELEN DECIDES MANKIND ARE THE PROBLEM AND SHE IS UNIQUELY PLACES TO SOLVE THAT PROBLEM. 9. Depending on the question above, in Series 5, it was indicated that Helen Cutter influenced Philip Burton into making New Dawn to create free energy but it actually made the Earth sterile, wiping out most lifeforms in an alternate future. What was the nature of Helen and Philip's interactions (namely did she want free energy for the world or to cause its destruction, in contrast to her Series 3 "save the world" ideal)? AGAIN LIKE LEEK, HELEN FOUND A MAN SHE COULD EASILY INFLUENCE. IN BURTON'S CASE HE HAD GOOD INTENTIONS BUT HIS ARROGANCE BLINDED HIM TO THE DANGERS. HELEN ALWAYS KNEW WHAT WOULD HAPPEN. 10. Some fans have theorised that the Second Matt Anderson, seen in the last episode of Series 5, was a clone, twin brother, a future version/vision of Matt Anderson. Would you like to reveal the reason behind the Second Matt's appearance or will you keep that a secret? NOT UNTIL WE GET ANOTHER SERIES COMMISSIONED 11. In Episode 5.5, James Lester speculated that the numerous worldwide Anomaly incursions caused by Convergence would result in the Anomalies becoming public knowledge in 2011. However, it was shown in Primeval: New World that the public was still unaware of the Anomalies by 2012 (at least in Canada). Could you explain that? Also, why was the Anomaly Research Centre mostly absent for the Anomaly incursions in Canada, surely they would have detected several Anomalies opening? AFTER THE WHOLE BURTON FIASCO AND THE TEMPORARY LULL IN ANOMALY ACTIVITY THE UK GOVERNMENT DECIDED TO KEEP IT ALL A SECRET HOPING IT WOULD ALL GO AWAY. WHEN THINGS STARTED IN CANADA CONNOR IS THE ONLY ONE WHO STEPS OUT OF LINE TO CONTACT THEM. 12. And lastly, is there any other information about Primeval characters, creatures or plot you would like to add to/explain that you could not fit into the show or thought up afterwards? THERE WERE QUITE A FEW IDEAS READY TO GO SHOULD ANOTHER SERIES BE COMMISSIONED BUT FOR THE MOMENT WE ARE KEEPING THOSE UNDER WRAPS.